1. Field of the Invention
Various and sundry applications exist for cotter pins, ring ends and other expedients for retaining rods or pins of clevises and shackles. The simple cotter pin and ring-dings, (as split continuous ring assemblies are commonly known), are notoriously liable to fouling and accidental detachment.
There has existed a need for an effective and inexpensive retainer to replace cotter pins and the like which will be easily snapped on and off of a clevis and yet not be detached accidently. Additionally, it is important that a retainer in marine use, for example, not be so formed as to be easily lost or entangled in ropes or lines, nor caught or hooked on, or by, clothing or other possible external hazards. Clevis pins and other such rod-like members come in various sizes and there has existed a need for a retainer which will prevent lateral or end movement of a member on such a rod without the heretofore disadvantages of clumsiness in application and the ever present danger of fouling or accidental disengagement. According to this invention grooved clevis pins are necessarily used to cooperate with the pinless retainer to preclude lateral movement of the retainer along the clevis pin axis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previous attempts have been made to replace the simple cotter pin with a retainer means that easily snaps around the clevis, or other such rod, with a retaining pin to prevent the retainer from lateral movement.
In addition to the prior art noted in parent application Serial No. 623,513 which is incorporated by reference in the instant continuation-in-part application, the following additional patents exemplify previously known pinless retainers usuable with grooved clevis pins:
Wurzel u.s. pat. No. 3,595,123 PA1 Wormser u.s. pat. No. 3,340,760 PA1 Feitl u.s. pat. No. 2,491,306 PA1 Alsaken u.s. pat. No. 1,915,640
Wurzel illustrates one form of pinless retainer which is predicted upon adjusting the geometry of a flexible section between two clamping jaws. Wurzel at FIG. 3 illustrates use of this retainer in combination with a grooved shaft analogous to the present pinless retainer teachings. However, Wurzel does not include double entry and clamping sections, relying simply on the distension of sharp corner points at A in order to effect a clamping within the groove G. Furthermore, there is no suggestion in Wurzel that a composite retainer can be formed through the combination of a double-entry pinless retainer and a septum guard clip, as is taught hereinafter.
Similarly, the references to Wormser, Feitl and Alsaken represent specified prior art retainers to the Wurzel teachings and are likewise merely illustrative of those spring retainers upon which the present invention predicates improvement.